


Magic in Your Veins

by Dansaria



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Bill Cipher Being Bill Cipher, Human Bill Cipher, M/M, Magic Dipper Pines, Older Dipper Pines, Slow Burn, Writer Dipper Pines, background Pacifica and Mabel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-06
Updated: 2018-01-06
Packaged: 2019-03-01 08:13:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13290762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dansaria/pseuds/Dansaria
Summary: When Dipper sets foot in Gravity Falls after 10 Years he expects many things to happen. Mostly to spend time with his Grunkles and to get the manuscripts for his latest book finished and in order. He does not expect to unlock magic that he hadn't even known he had or the return of a certain dream Demon. But when has anything ever gone as expected in Gravity Falls.





	Magic in Your Veins

        The drive back to Gravity Falls is unusually quiet. The trees passing by his windshield in a monochromatic blur. Dipper isn’t sure when he’d last seen a car on this vacant stretch of road. It feels like it had been hours ago. It could have been minutes.

 

         The last time he had made this trip Mabel had been with him. His twin bright and sunny as she fiddled with the radio stations and chattered ambily into his ear about all kinds of nonsense. 

 

        That had been years ago, now Mabel is off in Paris with her long time girlfriend, Pacifica, promoting their newest line of avant garde fashion. Waddles is with them, Dipper remembers seeing him on that last glitter covered postcard he’d gotten, wearing a big bright scarf to help with the cold weather. Pacifica and his sister had been donning matching mufflers, posing in front of some monument or another.

 

        And isn’t that a surprise. 

 

        Not the two of them dating, that had been something that Dipper had been expecting ever since their first summer at the Shack. Dipper had always assumed that Mabel would design clothes on her own that were quirky, but otherwise wearable by anyone. However, she’d been introduced to the branch of fashion in college and had just fallen in love with the artistic freedom.

 

        He, on the other hand, had never gone to college. After their first summer at the Mystery Shack Dipper had known what he wanted to do. After high school Dipper started travelling. Adventuring had always been in his blood, the urge to follow myths and legends to their source and share them with whomever was interested. He was just finishing up his last trip to gather research for his book. 

 

        Which is why he was on this empty stretch of road, at gods-only-knew o’clock in the morning. He sure as hell didn’t. Dipper had no clue when it happened, but the clock in his car was definitely busted. Always showing 3:15 as the time. One of his hands reaches up to rub at the corner of his eye, he is far too use to these late hour drives in the middle of nowhere.  

 

        At the sight of the Giant Lumberjack Dipper breathes a soft sigh of relief, only 15 more minutes and then he’ll be in sight of the scruffy shack that he remembered so fondly. Hopefully there is still a bed up in the attic. Grunkle Stan knows that he is coming, so there should be one. However, knowing his Grunkle it also might have been sold off to some tourist while he was gone. There was a 50/50 chance, honestly.

 

        The trees are starting to thin out, just enough for Dipper to be able to make out the vague shape of a sign and the gravel road that marks the entrance to the Shack. A fond smile touches the younger Pines twin’s lips as he spots the lights that shown out, lightly illuminating the clearing in front of the Shack. He is almost positive that that was the Shack’s living room. 

 

        Looks like someone has waited up for him.

 

        His clunky old car meanders it’s way up the driveway, making enough noise to surely wake the entire woods. Turning the ignition off leaves Dipper under a blanket of quiet as he stares off into the trees. Able to feel hundreds of eyes watching him in return. That was something that so long ago Dipper had found disconcerting. The feeling of being watched that he’d gotten while being in the falls. Now though- Now he finds it strangely comforting.

 

        It was… nice- fantastic to be back home. He loves travelling. Loves going out and discovering the magic and wonders that are sprinkled throughout the world. However, nothing ever feels like it holds as much magic as Gravity Falls does. Nothing feels as much like home.

 

        After ten years Dipper Pines is back  _ home _ .

 

        Dipper jolts back into awareness when he hears the creak of the back door being thrown open. With a quick glance up he can make out the form of his Grunkle Stan making his way over to his beat-up mess of a car. The older man is leaning more heavily on his signature eight-ball cane than the last time Dipper saw him. The Pines twin fumbles with his seat belt in the dark with one hand, the other blindly groping for the door handle. Somehow he manages to free himself from the contraption tumbling out of his car in a gaggle of limbs and clothes.

 

        “Grunkle Stan!” Dipper exclaims excitedly as he untangles his ankle. It had somehow gotten caught up in his seatbelt during his fall.

 

        “Jeez, Kid I know you’re excited to see me, but no need to make a fool of yourself so early.” A gravelly laugh sounds above his head. A large hand was thrust into Dipper’s field of vision and he takes it with a sheepish grin. The warmth and leathery texture of his great uncle’s hand doing wonders to placate Dipper’s haywire nerves.

 

        “I think the road took more out of me than I thought.” 

 

        “That’s what ya get for making me wait up until this ungodly hour.”

 

        “It’s “you” Stanley. “You” not “ya”. And we both waited up.” A voice says, coming from behind the older man. “I’m glad you got here safely Dipper.” The eldest twin says, having appeared sometime during Dipper’s fall from his seat. 

 

        “Grunkle Ford!” Dipper exclaims happily, “You two didn’t have-” He cuts himself off with a loud yawn, his jaw cracking as he opens his mouth wide.  “I- I guess that trip took more out of me than I thought.” The youngest mumbles, swaying on his feet. The exhaustion must be hitting him hard now that he isn’t so focused on the road. 

 

        One of his two grunkles scoffs, a worn, warm hand taking a hold of his shoulder. It steers him away from his car as his eyelids start to droop. He isn’t sure how he’d how he made it into the Shack without falling flat on his face more than once. It is probably thanks to the firm hand that was on his shoulder. He’d have to thank his Grunkle tomorrow. Hopefully by then his tongue would stop feeling like a foreign entity in his mouth.

 

        “Let’s get you in bed. You can worry about unpacking your car and stuff tomorrow. It’s too late for any of us to be up.” That must be Grunkle Ford, Dipper thinks as he gives a sleepy nod. “You’re room is still up in the attic. Do you think you can make it up their without dying?” Dipper nods again, feeling Grunkle Ford’s eyes narrowing on him. It takes him a moment to realize that his Grunkle clearly didn’t believe him. 

 

        Dipper offers what he hopes is a reassuring smile. His Grunkle rolls his eyes and motions him to go on.

 

        Making it up the creaky stairs is a experience that leaves him leaning heavily against the wall and with more than a few bruises. His hand resting against the rough wood wall of the mystery shack. It can’t be normal for him to feel this exhausted. Dipper frowns to himself, a niggling at the back of his mind. But he can’t place just what it is. Not for the life of him.

 

        Dipper shakes his head, knocking the rattling thought clear as his feet lead him forward in a tired shuffle. The door to his room was open when he got there. A moonlit triangle illuminating the floor with a silvery glow. The room cast in blue shadows. A shiver of dread slinks down his spine, causing his hair to stand on end. The feeling being watched is back, though it doesn’t bring with it the same promise of comfort. 

 

        Then-

 

        Just as soon as it started- it’s gone. Leaving Dipper feeling exposed and vulnerable. He leans against the doorway, his sleep muddled mind leaving him bereft of the reason why he feels so threatened. 

 

        The youngest Pines twin shakes his head, deciding he worry about it in the morning, after his mind and body stops begging him for sleep. A cloud of dust billows up from the unused sheets as Dipper collapses onto them. Not even bothering with taking off his sweater or shoes. While he is sure he would regret passing out fully clothed in the morning, sleep just sounds more preferable to being comfortable right now.

 

        Dipper is out like a light as soon as he closes his eyes.

 

        ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

        Pitch-black surrounds him on all sides, looking down he’s unable to see his hands or anything really. Is he really there? The boy isn’t sure, it feels like he is, but how can he truly know without seeing?

 

        He isn’t sure how long he was floating in this obsidian abyss before he bumps into something. The solid shape taking him aback in this vast expanse of nothingness. He places his hand on the smooth surface. It feels like cold glass underneath his fingertips. The boy still doesn’t see anything. He stares at the spot he knows his hand to be. Even though he’s sightless he wants to know. To see. A seam starts to split beneath his palm. The void splitting apart as if cut by a knife. 

 

        The boy watches abject in horror, unable to even twitch a finger as something seems to shatter. The void ripping itself open as a golden glow fills the dark space. An eye- An eye is taking form in the shadows. A black slit forms in the middle of it, swiveling around widely in it’s socket, taking in everything and nothing. The world around the boy compressing further and further, until he can’t breath. It feels as if he be will crushed at any moment. The world around him was trembling violently.

 

        Until it stops.

 

        Everything stops.

 

        He breathes heavily through his mouth, forcing himself out of the tightly coiled ball he had found himself in. The boy looks up, his body freezing in primordial terror as he finds the attention of the eye focused solely on him. Utter horror burns through his veins, his lips parting as a high pitched scream rips its way out of the back of his throat. The noise only getting more panicked as the ground disappears from beneath him. Sending him tumbling into the abyss as high pitched laughter seems to surround him from all sides.

 

        ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

        Dipper jolts awake with a half-choked scream spilling from his lips. His hand clenching  tightly at his sweater, just above his heart. He can feel it fluttering wildly in his chest, his pulse pounding against his throat as he struggles for breath. 

 

        Sleep after that was fleeting and filled with half remembered hazes of eyes following him and unknown beasts tearing at his flesh. Seemingly lost in an endless cycle of running and falling. 

 

        He remembers a few waking moments. Scenes of his Grunkles standing over him conversing in hushed tones that he just couldn’t comprehend. A warm hand pressing against his forehead. Being coaxed to drinking water by firm and steady hands. He continues to fade between sleeping and waking.

 

        The next time he opens his eyes, it feels as if a layer of grime has settled between his lashes. Opening them it more of a chore then Dipper ever thought would be possible. His reward for finally peeling them open was a bright piercing light burning his retinas. With a hiss of pain, he squeezes them into narrow slits, curling in on himself. A loud crack snaps through the air.

 

        The pain takes a few minutes to fade into a dull pounding in the back of his head. Dipper is hesitant to open his eyes again. Eventually though, he convinces himself to open them. Peering around the room from beneath his lashes as his eyes glance around in search of whatever had made that noise. 

 

        “Grunkle Ford?” He calls out, his voice is rough from disuse and his tongue feeling like sandpaper in his mouth. Dipper sits up straighter as his door swings open.

 

        “Sorry to disappoint, kid. Poindexter is down in the labs researching  _ this. _ ” His Grunkle Stan says as he comes into view, making a vague gesture toward Dipper with his free hand.

 

        “Did you just motion to all of me?” Dipper asks incredulously, patting down his chest and checking for extra limbs or something. You never know in Gravity Falls. He puffs out a sigh of relief when everything is where it should be.

 

        “Dipper.” Grunkle Stan says, something in his voice making the young man look up and meet his great uncle’s eyes. He really looks scared over  _ this _ . Whatever  _ this  _ is. “Dipper, ya been in and outta sleep for the past we, you never woke up for longer than a few moments. Ya had one hell of a fever there. We thought we were going to lose ya.” His voice was soft, as if speaking that out loud would send Dipper back into the dreamscape. 

 

        It must have been bad if Grunkle Stan was showing so much concern. Grunkle Stan didn’t do displays of affection. He prefers the tough love approach. 

 

        “Here.” A glass of water is shoved under his nose, and Dipper takes it reflexively. Cradling it in his lap when his muscles start to tremble. He hears Grunkle Stan sigh and a hand ruffles through his hair. “I’m gonna to go grab Brainiac, we’ll get you up an’ running again in no time, kid.” 

 

        “Okay, Grunkle Stan.” Dipper says, his brows furrowing. He focuses his attention on not spilling the water all over his lap as tries to drink it. It is a struggle. He ends up spilling half of the glass anyway. But it keeps his mind off the churning in his veins. The tension that seems to fill the room and create static in his ears. 

 

        “Dipper?” A hand lands on his shoulder and Dipper lets out a yelp of surprise. The glass shattering in his hands and causing water to fall all over his lap. A stream of curses fall from his lips, as frantically tries to gather the glass without cutting himself even more. His breath coming out in ragged gasps as the room trembles around him.

 

        “-pper! Dipper! I need you to look at me.” Grunkle Ford’s voice cuts through the panicked haze that had taken over Dipper’s mind. His eyes lock with his uncle’s, the older man has his hands up, palms facing the young adult in a placting manner. As if he were calming down a cornered animal. “There you go, Dipper, Just take deep breaths. In and out.” Ford’s eyes flicker around the room and Dipper notices that the the furniture is rattling. Picture frames are dangerously close to being shook from his dresser. His Grunkle Stan is watching him from the doorway with concern clearly in his eyes. 

 

        As his breath starts to even out the rattling slows until there’s only a slight quiver in the room. But that also soon fades away as Grunkle Ford continues to talk him through his- his what? Panic attack? The older man, taking a hold of his hands and gingerly removing the glass splinters that had embedded themselves in his palm. He hadn’t even felt them.

 

        Dipper takes in a few more breaths, refusing to look around at the chaos that enveloped his room.    
  


        “Grunkle Stan, what was that?” The youngest Pines twin asks, barely managing to keep the tremble out of his voice. Because this is not normal, even by his standards. And Dipper knows that his standard of normal is fucked up.

 

        “I don’t know, Kid. But I have an idea.”


End file.
